One of the most beloved films of the 1980s, "Back to the Future" was one of the films I remember most from my childhood. While the second and third films were not quite as memorable, all three were compelling adventures for all ages - really the kind of upbeat, entertaining films that aren't made much anymore (see also "The Goonies", which came out the same year).

Although I doubt there are many who haven't seen this picture already, but to discuss the story: Fox stars as Marty McFly, a teenager (I bought Fox as a teenager when I first saw this film, I don't think I really do watching it again after all these years) who is friends with the town's crazy inventor, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd, in his best performance). Brown requests his presence in the local mall parking lot at 1:15 in the morning. Once there, Doc reveals what he's been working on recently - a time machine that happens to be made out of a De Lorean.

After a test run with the Doc's dog as the sole passenger, Marty finds himself jumping into the vehicle to escape the terrorists who Doc tricked to get the radioactive fuel for his machine. Once Marty hits the gas and reaches 88, he finds himself in November of 1955, with no way to get home. Unfortunately for Marty, he's got other problems: he finds that he's got to be the one who causes his parents to meet, which won't be easy - it's not long into the past before he accidentially breaks up a potential meet. Of course, if he parents never meet, he can never be born - a fact that he's reminded of constantly as a photograph of his brother, his sister and himself is becoming progessively less populated.

The film works as well as it does because of several reasons. The time travel concept has been covered in film before ("The Time Machine"), but the film's twists and turns once Marty confronts elements of his present in the past are highly entertaining and surprising. Even if the film kind of presents a lot of story points within the early moments, the film still heads off in unexpected directions, while Fox makes for a classic hero racing against the clock to get himself out of a potentially terrible situation. It's also one of those rare pictures to cross genres with remarkable success: the film incorporates elements of action, sci-fi, comedy, drama and more smoothly into one entertaining whole. Composer Alan Silvestri's wonderful score also keeps up quite beautifully, adding to the suspense, comedy and adventure without underlining it. Supporting performances from Lloyd, Lea Thompson and others are also superb. The second and third films don't quite capture the same magic as the original, but they still make for enjoyable entertainment.